Vol. 529 No. 1
890 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the response he has received from the European Commission further to Parliamentary Question No. 183 of 10 October 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1325/01]
An Post provides payment delivery services to my Department in accordance with a five year contract which was signed in 1992 and extended for a further three years in 1997.
The Government decided in 1999 that this contract should be extended for a further three years, 2000 to 2002, inclusive. Following this decision, certain issues were raised with the EU Commission concerning, inter alia, whether the contract must under EU law be offered to the market. The Commission has not yet informed my Department of the outcome of its examination of these issues.
